SINAPUELAS, Ph.D., Michelle, is a postdoctoral researcher for Next Gen ASET at California State University, East Bay. Before pursuing a career in education, Dr. Sinapuelas worked as an engineer in the semi-conductor industry. Dr. Sinapuelas received her Ph.D. in Science and Mathematics Education from the University of California, Berkeley. She also holds a M.S. in Chemistry from University of California, Berkeley, a B.A. in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles, and single-subject teaching credentials in science and foundation level mathematics at California State University, Fresno. As part of the ASET team, Dr. Sinapuelas co-leads toolkit development and research with a focus on its use and application in pre-service teacher education. She is currently working to strengthen ASET toolkit components that support integration of engineering into the science classroom.

Dr. Sinapuelas has a variety of classroom experience teaching at the high school and university level. She has taught algebra and science (chemistry and integrated science) at the high school level in California public schools. At the university level she has taught chemistry courses along with a variety of courses for pre-service teachers. These include education courses in science and mathematics teaching methods for elementary and secondary pre-service teachers, classroom management, research methods, and acted as a supervisor and mentor during site visits observing pre-service teacher’s classroom teaching. While a graduate student, Dr. Sinapuelas received the Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award from the UC Berkeley Chemistry department, demonstrating her potential for high quality university level teaching. She was previously a faculty member at California State University Bakersfield in the Teacher Education department as well as in the Curriculum and Instruction Masters program. She has also worked with the UC Berkeley Cal Teach team as an instructor, Director of the Cal Teach Summer Research Institute, and co-director of the Berkeley Engineering Research Experience for Teachers (BERET) program.

Her previous research experiences include evaluating how to better meet the needs of a diverse student population in chemistry courses and how undergraduate STEM majors develop their understanding of the scientific research process. She has published her work in the Journal of Research in Science Teaching. Her current research focuses on pre-service science teachers’ (and their instructors’) developing pedagogical content knowledge and their associated teaching practices in the context of three-dimensional science teaching.